The Global Justice Movement and Occupy Wall Street: spillover, spillout, or coalescence?

Abstract

This article argues that a symbiotic coalescence has emerged between the Global Justice Movement (GJM) and Occupy Wall Street (OWS), rather than a spillover or spillout from the GJM to OWS. News coverage concerning GJM and OWS protests and interviews with scholars who have studied or participated in these movements are used to explore overlapping actors, frames, targets, and tactical repertoires as well as dynamics in protest mobilization levels. I conclude that a symbiotic coalescence emerged between the GJM and OWS. Although the coalescence was mutually beneficial to both movements, OWS benefited more from these cross-movement ties than the GJM. Further, the demobilization of the GJM preceded the onset of OWS. The findings are consistent with coalescence arguments and inconsistent with spillover or spillout arguments. OWS continues to maintain a largely untapped network of participants, which can be remobilized at politically opportune moments for new waves of social justice activism.

Keywords:

• social movements
• protests
• Global Justice Movement
• Occupy Wall Street
• spillover
• spillout
• coalescence
• miscibility

Notes

1. GJM encapsulates anti-globalization, alter-globalization, and global justice activism globally, including protests of international institutions. OWS refers to Occupy encampments globally.

2. The University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board approved the interview methodology (PRO13,120,209) for exempt review under section 45 CFR 46.101(b)(2) Tests, surveys, interviews, and observations of public behavior.

3. Search terms used for WB and IMF Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (WB or ‘World Bank’ or IMF or ‘International Monetary Fund’)

4. Search terms used for WTO Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (WTO or ‘World Trade Organization’)

5. Search terms used for OECD Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (OECD or ‘Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’ or ‘Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’)

6. Search terms used for WEF and WSF Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (WEF or ‘World Economic Forum’ or WSF or ‘World Social Forum’)

7. Search terms used for G7/G8 Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (G8 or G7)

8. Search terms used for G20 Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (G20)

9. Search terms used for Occupy Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (occupy)

10. Search terms used for Global Day of Occupy Protests: (protest! or demonstration! or manifestation!) and (Occupy or ‘Wall Street’ or ‘99%’ or ‘99 percent or ‘corporate greed’)

11. Eleven interviews were conducted in January 2014: 17 January (Interviews 1 and 2), 20 January (Interviews 3 and 4), 21 January (Interview 5), 23 January (Interview 6), 24 January (Interviews 7, 8, and 9), 27 January (Interview 10), and 29 January (Interview 11).